Stone distributor and leveler



F. E. ARNDT July 22, 1924..

STONE DISTRIBUTOR AND LEVELER Filed Nov. 20, 1922 2| Sheets-Sheet l .Fuly 22, 1924. 1,502,007

F. E. ARNDT STONE DISTRIBUTOR AND LEVELER Filed Nov. 20, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RN \N H llllllllllllllll |ll l||| I |||lll|lll|l 6cm m: 1,

Fatent a July 22, 3924.

STGNE DISTRIBUTOR D LEVELEB.

all 1,502,002:

Application filed November 20, 1922. Serial No. 602,122.

To all wlwm it may cono'em:

Be it hown that I, FRANKLIN E. Anrrn'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galion, in the county of Crawford and State 5 of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stone Distributors and Levelers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to road building machines, and particularly to means for distributing and leveling road metal such as broken stone, gravel or other broken or comminuted material. 4

One of the objects of.this invention is to provide a stone spreader of this character of a very simple and efi'ective construction and which is adapted to be attached to and" drawn behind a truck and to receive the broken stone or other material from the truck and discharge it onto the roadway in a layer, and in this connection to provide very simple means whereby the thickness of the layer of stone laid down may be controlled and the stone leveled.

A further object is to provide a construction of this character wherein a hopper is disposed at a height above the road bed, the bottom of the hopper being open and the hopper being fixed from any vertical adjustment, thethickness of the stone laid down upon the road bed being determined by 1 means of a strike-ofi' blade supported rearward but independently of the hopper and mounted so that it may be raised or lowered to the desired height,.thus doing away with the necessity of raising or lowering the hopper itself, which even when empty of stone is relatively heavy, and which when loaded is still more dificult to raise or lower, and an my construction permitting adjustment of the strike-0E bladeat anytime without-dif-.

= ficulty.

Other objects-have to do with the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully stated.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure lcis a. side, elevation of a stone distributor constructed in accordance with my invention; I

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the same.

Referring to these drawings, 10 designates a hopper sliaped container having down- 03%;"6'HI0, assrenon we ran GALION men" we on, co, 4 cc-nrorron or 1:2-10.

tainer being braced by the angle iron frames 13. The bottom of the hopper is open and the hopper is supported by means of runners 14.disposed inward of the ends of the hopper 10 and extending forward-of the hopper and being so disposed that the rear ends of the runners are approximately directly beneath the lower end of the forward wall of the hopper. These runners 14 are preferably formed of T-bars, though I do not wish to be limited to'this. Attached to the runners in any suitable manner are the upwardly and rearwardly extending supports 15, -which at their lower ends are connected to transverse U-shaped bars 16, which at their ends are attached to the runners 14:.- The upper ends of the brackets 15 are attached to angle irons 17, in turn attached to the upper and lower margins of the front wall of the hopper. The lower margin of the rear wall of the hopper is provided with a longitudinally extending angle iron 18 having a horizontally projecting flange, and the upper margin of the rear wall of the hopper is also provided with the angle iron 19. The forward ends of the runners are provided with shackles 20, to which draft chains 21 are connected, these draft chains having rings at their ends whereby they may be attached to hooks 22, in turn attached to the chassis of the truck A, the runners 14 being preferably disposed inwardly of the Wheels B.

Attached to the ends of the front'wall of the hopper and preferably attached to the angle iron framing. ,members 13 are the brackets 23. These brackets have their lower edges on a level/with the bottom of the hopper, and pivotally attached to these brackets and extending rearward laterally of the ends of the hopper are the arms 24.

These arms are pivoted at 24 to the brackets 23 and extend rearward of the rear Wall of the hopper and then downward and carry ends the strike-bfi' blade 25. This strike-0E blade 25 has a length greater than the total length of the hopper so that it extends laterally beyond the draw bars or arms 24'and,

therefore, beyond the ends of the hopper.

@ naoaoor The strike-oft blade is attached to the lower one of the draw bars to be raised or lowered extremities of the downwardly bent ends of relative to the other draw bar so as to thus the draw bars or arms 24 b means of bolts cause the strike-ed blade to be set at a slight 26 or in any other suitab e manner. The inclination to the horizontal so that the layer -upper and lower edges of the blade 25 are of material deposited by the distributor is preferably-beveled and it will be obvious slightly less in thicknes at one end of the that when one edge of the blade becomes hopper than it is at the other. This is of worn the blade may be shifted so as to bring particular value where it is desired that the the other edge downward The lower edge crown of the road shall have a greater thickof the blade should be straight so as to ness of broken stone laid thereon than the strike ofi or level the vupper face of the margin of the road, and obviously the hop= broken stone or other material deposited on per may have any desired lenfih and capacthe road bed from the hopper. ity. The ability to easily raise or lower the The rear ends of the arms of the draw bar strike-oil blade is of particular advantage 24 have attached thereto the rearwardly where it is necesary to gradually increase the projecting handles 27 whereb these arms or thickness of the material distributed from draw bars may be lifted an adjusted, and the hopper or decrease the thickness of this for the purpose of holding the draw bars material as, for instance, where grades are in any desired adjusted position, a plate 28 being changed or slight hollows have to be is riveted or otherwise attached or mounted "filled up. -u on the end walls of the ho er, which The ground engaging members 14, which pihte is provided with a lura ity of perare preferably in the form of runners, are forations 29 or sockets. hese sockets are disposed inward of the ends of the hopper arranged in an arc of a circle, the center of 10 so that one end of the hopper may overwhich is the ivotal axis 24: of the draw lap a layer of stone previously laid down. bars, and the raw bars or arms are held in It the runners were disposed at the ends their adjusted position by means of pins 30 of the hopper the runners would run along inserted one through each draw bar into the the edge of the layer of stone previously laid corresponding socket. As illustrated, these down and as a consequence there would be pins are held from accidental detachment by a valley between the two layers of stone forming each pin with a hook-like portion which would have to be afterwards filled 31. adapted to engage over the corresponding up and struck 0d level. This is obviated draw bar. When it is desired to withdraw by having the hopper extend laterally bethe pin, of course the pin is to be turned in yond the runners. its socket, lifting the hook-like portion 31 It is to be noted that one of the advanfrom the draw bar, then the pin may be tages of having the striking blade mounted pulled out, and when both pins are out it is upon the pivoted draw bars is that the obvious that the draw bars may be raised or striking blade is very readily shifted and lowered by means of the handle 27 so as to is ertectly free when unlocked. 7 lit the adjust the strike-0d blade to'any desired stri ing blade were mounted upon one wall height from the road bed. of the hopper it would have to be mounted In the practical use of this invention, it in guides and this would make it diticult will be obvious that the truck body C disto adjust the plate freely. The draw bars, charges broken stone, gravel, slag, sand or however, constitute levers carrying the strikany other suitable material of a more or less ing blade, these levers permitting the easy comminuted 'or'broken character into the raising or lowering of the striking blade, hopper 10. This material is discharged Inasmuch as the striking blade is not in through the open bottom of the hopper onta contact with any part of the hopper, there the roadwa as the hopper is being dragged is no chance for the striking blade to be along by t e truck. As the hopper moves come rusted in place or for corrosion to act along discharging the load of material onto upon the blade and hopper so as to cause the ground, the strike-ed blade 25 acts as a adhesion between the two which would have scraper, levelin 0d the material so as to to be broken in order to shift the striking give a layer 0% even thickness along the blade. whole width of the roadway or for a width ll claim depending upon the transverse length of the l. A distributor for road material comhopper. If a relatively thin layer of maprising a hopper havin side and end walls terial is desired, the striking blade is lowand being open at the ottom thereof, road ered to its maximum extent, and if athickengaging su ports for the hopper, and a er la er is desired the strike-0d blade is striking ofi lade disposed rearward of the raise thus varying the thickness of malower end of the hopper and normally exterial deposited upon the road. The pivotal tending below the level of the bottom of the connectionbetween the brackets 23 and the hopper, members supporting said blade and draw bars or arms 24 or between bolts 26 pivoted for vertical adjustment, and means and arms 24: is loose enough to permit either engaging said members and adapted to hold I the blade in any vertically adjusted position.

2. A distributor for road material comprising a hopper having side and end walls and having an open bottom, road engaging su orting means for the hopper, a strikeofl blad'e disposed rearward of the lower portion of the hopper, and arms pivotally supported upon the same and extending rearward of the hopper and to which the striking ofl' blade is attached, said arms bein vertically adjustable, and means for ho ding the arms in vertically adjusted positions.

3. A spreader for road material compris ing a hopper having side and end walls and open at the bottom, road engaging supporting means for said hopper, arms ivotally connected. to the hopper and extending rearward thereof, said arms being vertically adjustable, a striking off blade carried upon the rear ends of said arms and supported thereby and spaced from the rear wall of the hopper and means for holding the arms in vertically adjusted positions.

4.. A spreader for road material comprising a hopper having side and end walls and being open at the bottom thereof, means for supporting the hopper at a distance from the ground equal to the maximum depth proposed for the road material, a strike-off blade extending transversely of the line of draft and close to the hopper, and means for holding the blade fixed as against vertical movement in either direction in relation to the hopper.

5. A distributor for road material comprising a hopper having side and end'walls and open at the bottom, a road engaging support for the hopper, brackets mounted upon the hopper, draft bars pivotally mounted upon said brackets at each end of the hopper and extending rearward of the hop er and then downward, a striking ofl' bla e attached to the rear ends of the draft bars and movable therewith and normally spaced from the rear wall of the hopper, and means for holding said draft bars in vertically adjusted positions.

6. A distributor for road material comprising a hopper having side and end walls and open at the bottom, a road engaging support for the hopper, brackets mounted upon the hopper, draft. bars pivotally mounted upon said brackets at each end of the hopper and extending rearward of the hopper and then downward, a striking ofl blade attached to the rear ends of the draft bars and movable therewith and normally spaced from the rear wall of the hopper, and means for holding said'draft bars in vertically adjusted fositions, the draft bars having rearwar ly extending handles whereby they may be raised *or lowered.

7. A distributor for road material comv prising a ho per having side and end walls and an open ottom, ground engaging members disposed forward ,of the'ho peer and inward of the ends thereof, brac ets supporting the hopper upon said ground engaging members, means attached to the ground engaging members whereby the hopper may be connected to a truck, draft bars pivotal (y connected operatively to the hopper an thereof to a point beyond the hopper, a striking ofi' blade mounted upon said draft bars and vertically movable therewith, and means whereb the draft barsmay be held in any vertica ly adjusted position.

8. A distributor for road material comprising a hopper open at the top and bottom and having side and end walls, runners disposed inward of the ends of the hopper and forward of the lower end of the front wall, means supportin the hopper upon the runners, a strike-o blade disposed rearward of and spaced from the rear wall of the hopper and normally extended below this rear wall, draw bars operatively pivoted upon the hopper and extending rearward at each end thereof and operatively connected to the striking off blade and having rearwardly extending handles, and means for holding the draw bars at different elevations with respect to the hop er to thereby adjust the height of the striking ofl plate from the ground. I

9. A distributor for road material comprising a containing hopper having side and end walls and havin a discharge opening in the bottom thereof, ground enga ing means for supporting the hopper, a stri in off blade disposed rearward of and space extending rearward at each endfrom the rear wall of the hopper, arms operatively pivoted upon the distributor at each end of the hopper and extendin rearward thereof and to which the striklng off blade is connected, means for holding said arms in vertically adjusted positions comprising a series of sockets carried by the end walls of the hopper and disposed concentrically to the ivotal axis of the arms, and a pin carried by each arm and insertible into any one of said sockets, said arms being separately adjustable to thereby control the angle of said plate.

l 11. A spreader for road material comprising a hopper having an open bottom, means for supporting the hop er elevated from a road, a strike-off blade disposed rear- 5 Ward of and spaced from the rear wall of the hopper and extending transversely of the line of draft and close to the hopper neoaoov and vertically adjustable means for suportin said strike-oil blade and holding the filade zed as against vertical movement in either direction with relation to the hopper.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FRANKLIN 1E. ARNDT. 

